The Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Wednesday claimed responsibility for a blast which they said targeted a military meeting in Chief of Staff office in Damascus. The blast took place near the hotel which houses members of the UN mission in central Damascus and left three injured. The rebel commander Maher al-Nuaimi, head of the Coordination Office of the FSA sad: "The operation by the FSA at the office of the General Staff has been planned by experts to take place at 8:05 during a meeting of officers and Shabbiha (pro-regime militia) leaders," he said.

"This operation aims to boost the morale of the FSA and tell Bashar al-Assad and his command we can conduct operations well studied because we know what is happening in their ranks," he added.

"I do not know how many people were there, but the meeting was attended by 10 officers in charge of suppressing the demonstrations in Damascus", he added.

The bomb exploded near an office belonging to the General Staff, said the Syrian television, without elaborating on the origin of this explosion.

Yesterday, the Deputy Secretary General of UN for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos , visited in the Syrian capital, where she met with several government members, including the new Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi.

On the ground, fighting continued between rebels and government forces in Damascus and Aleppo.

According to a preliminary assessment by activists, 89 people died Tuesday, including 53 civilians.